No more used clothes for Sandy relief, please

Those who want to help with Hurricane Sandy relief efforts in New York and New Jersey should stop donating used clothing to the Rotary Club of the Stroudsburgs because the organization has nowhere to take all of it.

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Posted Nov. 10, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Posted Nov. 10, 2012 at 12:01 AM

BEWARE OF SCAM

A few people have recently been going door to door in the Stroudsburg area, claiming they are Salvation Army workers who have been tasked with collecting "donations" for the Hurricane Sandy relief ...

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BEWARE OF SCAM

A few people have recently been going door to door in the Stroudsburg area, claiming they are Salvation Army workers who have been tasked with collecting "donations" for the Hurricane Sandy relief effort, according to James Gingrich, head of the Salvation Army in East Stroudsburg.

In truth, these people are just scammers.

Gingrich said Salvation Army workers do not go door to door collecting money for victims of disasters, nor do they solicit donations over the phone. Gingrich said he was informed Tuesday by Stroud Area Regional Police that this was taking place.

"It's just sad because during these kinds of disasters, there are always people who look to scam other people," Gingrich said. "People just need to be careful."

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Those who want to help with Hurricane Sandy relief efforts in New York and New Jersey should stop donating used clothing to the Rotary Club of the Stroudsburgs because the organization has nowhere to take all of it.

The Salvation Army and other relief organizations have been inundated with donations of used clothes since Sandy hit and cannot process all of them quickly enough nor can they use many of the items, said Rotary Club President Jim Becker.

The most effective way to help hurricane victims is to donate new clothes or make cash contributions.

"Everyone is being thoughtful and kind, but right now used-clothing donations are not what we need," said Denise Richardson, director of communications for the Salvation Army's Greater New York Division.

Pocono residents have been showing up to the Rotary Club of the Stroudsburgs with the intention of making used clothes donations only to be told that they couldn't.

When used clothes are donated to places like the Salvation Army or Goodwill, they must first be inspected and washed.

Relief organizations haven't had the time or manpower to sort through and process the mountains of used clothes they've received in the wake of the hurricane.

Becker said that even though the Rotary Club isn't taking used clothes right now, it's still taking items for babies, like formula and diapers.

New clothes can still be utilized, but those clothes should be appropriate for the season.

Bathing suits, flip-flops or tank tops wouldn't be appropriate for hurricane victims at this time of year.